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New Zealand Attracting India New-Age Travelers with its Authentic Experiences, Now Moving Beyond Instagram Filters to Showcase The Raw Beauty and Their Cultural Depth

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Monday, July 14, 2025

Travel outbound market of India experienced unprecedented growth owing to significant changes in the economy as well as shifts in traveler attitudes. Recent surveys suggest that over 15 million Indians made international journeys in the first six months of the year 2024 alone, achieving a spectacular growth of 14% vis-à-vis the preceding years. The trajectory points to India becoming the world’s fifth-largest market for outbound travel in the year 2027, amounting to a humongous value of USD 89 billion.

Tourism New Zealand Respsonds through #BeyondTheFilter Campaign

Notably, we observe a significant trend among Indian travelers choosing to make multiple overseas trips each year. Such travelers, in growth of 32%, credit their frequency in traveling to their growing disposable incomes as well as an appetite for experiential and authentic global explorations rather than simple sightseeing.

Observing this emergent market, Tourism New Zealand recently introduced the new revolutionary #BeyondTheFilter campaign targeting Indian tourists in search of authenticity and richer cultural experience. The campaign stars popular real-life couple Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa, both known for their natural, down-earth personalities and natural on-screen presence.

The campaign intentionally moves on from highly polished travel photography, showcasing Aotearoa New Zealand through raw, sincere moments in lieu of a manicured social media viewpoint.

Behind the Scenes: Local Authenticity Through an Indigenous Eye

Tourism New Zealand partnered with Indian production house Walkabout Films, in creative leadership with Navzar Irani. Irani emphasized the aim behind the campaign, stating, “The brief was to break free from photo-perfect moments of travel and explore what travel feels like when not selfie-ready for likes or comments.” Captured after an exhaustive seven-day sojourn, the campaign celebrates raw, impromptu moments of connection that resonate in the modern-day traveler.

Digital Mastery: Online Emotional Storytelling

To be on digital, like YouTube and social media, as the main objective, the campaign takes advantage of the familiarity and accessibility of celebrity personalities in reaching out effectively to all types of audiences. As suggested by Gregg Wafelbakker, Regional Director, Asia, Tourism New Zealand, the campaign’s digital-first mindset is aligned with today’s consumer consumption behaviors in the media. The strategy ensures effective storytelling on an emotional basis, which will resonate on a very personal basis with potential visitors.

Shifting Travel Patterns: Experiential Travel Gaining Grounds

Long popular among Indian adventurers for action-based activities like rafting and bungee jumping, New Zealand today is witnessing a market transition toward further immersive, less rushed, experience-based explorations. Indian tourists are spending increased amounts of time interacting intimately with activity and local culture, showing a need for further cultural engagement.

It emphasizes a general global effort toward conscious travel, where tourists appreciate relationships both culturally and emotionally, benefiting visited areas in a positive way.

Recovery and Development: India as a Potential Market for New Zealand

India is quickly becoming New Zealand’s fastest growing and quickest recovering pandemic market. Total arrivals from India are now 22% ahead of pre-pandemic levels, making India the fifth largest market for New Zealand, ahead of several European markets.

This strong rebound highlights India’s significance in the world travel arena, and New Zealand is all too aware of the potential offered by this growth market.

Patterns in Bookings and Diverse Demographic Appeal

Close to 85% of Indian visitors to New Zealand continue to book through either traditional travel agencies or web-based companies like MakeMyTrip. Notably, traditional agencies are becoming much more active in the utilization of electronic media in keeping with today’s consumer expectations. Tourism New Zealand is actively involving these partners in an effort to co-construct content and itinerary ideas which most directly speak to Indian tourists.

Demographic diversity in Indian tourists ranging from families, honeymoon couples, individual tourists, and couples points to the wide appeal of New Zealand. With each category ranging from adventure lovers, couples for romance, and spas for wellness, the country is able to provide bespoke experiences.

Strategic Seasonality: Leveraging Your Tour

Interestingly, the tourist off-peak times within New Zealand (autumn and spring seasons) are also well aligned for peak times for tourists from India, i.e., April, May, and October. The seasonal match positively benefits tourists seeking less crowded tours alongside local businesses for stable all-year-round tourism.

Cultural Resonance and Sustainability in Tourism Projects

The Recognizing an international movement toward high-value, conscientious travel, New Zealand is straightforward in its emphasis on sustainable travel practices and higher levels of cultural understanding. Immersive travel that enables tourists to make a beneficial effect on visited communities was highlighted as a significant area by Gregg Wafelbakker. This facilitates higher levels of authenticity and deeper emotions in their journeys.

Looking ahead: Capitalising on India’s Travel Boom

As India’s outbound market is expected to boom in the years to come, New Zealand is committed to keeping and gaining market share. Ongoing investment and strategy aimed at capturing such growth, keeping New Zealand attractive to shifting Indian traveler demand, was emphasized by Gregg Wafelbakker. In short, while India’s travel dynamics keep altering at a frantic pace, international destinations, particularly New Zealand, refine their products to meet and exceed the expectations of this powerful market. With authentic, heart-moving travel experiences, upgraded electronic communication, and sensitively conscious campaigns, India’s rising craving for travel is bound to pay rich dividends to New Zealand.



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South African Tourism announces fifth edition of Corporate Think Tank in India

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South African Tourism is set to launch the fifth edition of its flagship Corporate Think Tank. The series will be hosted in four key hubs such as Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata on 19th September 2025, 07th November 2025, 12th December 2025, and 30th January 2026 respectively. Aimed at positioning the Rainbow Nation as a leading destination for global business events, the Corporate Think Tank brings together key industry leaders and corporate decision makers to explore business growth, evolving travel demands, and the future of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions).

Led by Deepika Nair, Acting Trade Manager, South African Tourism, the event will connect with Indian corporates across key sectors such as IT, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. By expanding its focus beyond traditional metro markets, the initiative aims to tap new emerging business hubs like Chennai and Kolkata along with other cities, fostering greater accessibility and inclusivity. The initiative will highlight South Africa’s transformation into a modern, experiential destination that seamlessly blends world-class business infrastructure with leisure opportunities. Discussions will focus on evolving market trends such as digital transformation, sustainability, and innovative event strategies, while emphasizing the country’s capability to host large-scale conferences, incentive travel programs, and world-class corporate meetings. Further, catering to emerging preferences like sustainability-focused initiatives, family-inclusive business trips, and team-building engagement programs.

Speaking about the importance of this initiative, Deepika Nair, Acting Trade Manager, South African Tourism said, “India plays a pivotal role in our MICE strategy as one of the top contributors to arrivals in South Africa. We are excited to bring the fifth edition of Corporate Think Tank to India, where we will engage corporate leaders and decision-makers to showcase South Africa’s incredible potential as a business event destination. This 2025 initiative underscores our vision of establishing the Rainbow Nation as the premier MICE destination by offering state-of-the-art infrastructure, exceptional experiences, and cost-effective solutions. By consistently engaging with India’s corporate community, we aim to set new benchmarks for MICE travel and drive sustained growth in this thriving segment.”

Building on the success of previous editions, South African Tourism’s 2025 Corporate Think Tank highlights the dynamic growth of India’s corporate travel landscape and its critical role in South Africa’s MICE sector. In 2024, India emerged as one of South Africa’s fastest-growing source markets for MICE travel, contributing 20.2% of overall MICE arrivals. Business and MICE travellers collectively accounted for nearly half (49.6%) of Indian arrivals, underscoring the significant impact of this segment on South Africa’s tourism industry.

With Corporate Think Tank 2025, South African Tourism aims to build on this momentum and drive strong growth in MICE arrivals from India. As part of its broader strategy to create innovative platforms that inspire and engage the Indian corporate travel community, the initiative will spotlight South Africa as both a business-ready destination and a vibrant hub of culture and experiences.



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Taiwan Tourism expands India outreach with trade engagements in Kochi and Kolkata

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Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) recently concluded two significant trade and educational events in Kochi and Kolkata, marking a deeper outreach into South and East India.

A first such event at the South Indian city of Kochi by TTA, the event was an educational seminar. The high-tea event was attended by leading Taiwanese DMCs, Top Holidays and Apple Travel Services, whereas Singapore Airline was the partner airline to the event. Aimed at educating city’s travel trade on Taiwan’s diverse FIT and MICE offerings, the event was attended by some 30 leading travel agents and tour operators actively engaged in outbound tourism business.

The road show in Kolkata, a hitherto untapped market for Taiwan, also aimed at educating the city’s travel trade on Taiwan’s FIT and MICE offerings. India’s fourth largest city-economy and capital of one of the strongest outbound tourism source markets in India, West Bengal, the Kolkata roadshow had Thai Airways as the partner airline and some 50 agents attended the event.

Commenting on the two events, Paul Shih, Director – TTA Singapore Office, said, “India is a very diverse market and there are tremendous opportunities to exploit across the country. We saw some surprising response from our last year’s Educational Seminar with airline partner in the South Indian cities of Bangaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. The two events were strategic extension of our trade outreach, engagement and educational programme that we have carried in India over the last year and half. Kochi gave opportunity to penetrate deep in the South India market, whereas Kolkata roadshow was our first post-pandemic push in the region and was aimed at opening East Indian market, particularly West Bengal.”

TTA made a determined comeback to India in January 2024 with strategic market-focussed plans. Taiwan recorded a robust 20.81% growth in Indian visitor arrivals last year and has since further strengthened its growth to 22.01% year-on-year for the January-May period this year.

“TTA is committed to long-term strategic approach and position Taiwan as a premier destination for high-end luxury and MICE travellers. These events will help enhance our destination appeal and visibility for HNI, FIT, incentives and luxury corporate travellers through strategic partnerships with airlines and travel agencies in these regions. We want to visit these places again and again and convince our travel industry friends that we are quite serious about forming new partnerships in order to develop these markets,” Shih further stressed.

The two events are aligned to TTA’s strategic goal of gradually expanding its destination marketing and trade outreach activations, while also introducing new products such as Golf Tourism that was recently introduced in the Indian market. Through such expanding activations, TTA aims to strengthen partnerships with travel industry professionals across a wider geography in order to increase the number of Indian tourists to Taiwan.



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Courchevel Brings the French Alps to India with an Exclusive Four-City Roadshow

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India, September 2025 – Courchevel, the distinguished jewel of the French Alps, is set to showcase its world of alpine luxury to India through an exclusive four-city roadshow in collaboration with One Rep Global.

The highly anticipated showcase will begin in Bangalore on September 15, travel to Ahmedabad on September 16, continue to New Delhi on September 18, and conclude in Mumbai on September 19.

Over the course of the week, India’s leading luxury travel advisors and trade professionals will be introduced to Courchevel’s finest experiences—from world-class skiing on the slopes of Les 3 Vallées and Michelin-starred gastronomy to luxury chalets, alpine events, and the cultural richness that has long defined Courchevel as a global luxury destination

Alexia Laine, Director, Courchevel Tourisme, shared: “India is an incredibly important market for us, and we are delighted to return with a stronger presence across four key cities. Courchevel offers an unmatched combination of thrilling alpine adventure and world-class luxury. For Indian travellers seeking refined experiences with a touch of cultural authenticity, Courchevel represents the very best of the French Alps.”

The roadshow is being curated by One Rep Global, India’s leading sales and marketing representation company for luxury hospitality and travel.

Hemant Mediratta, Founder & CEO of One Rep Global, said: “At One Rep Global, we are committed to connecting India’s discerning travellers with the world’s most exceptional destinations. Courchevel is a perfect example of luxury that goes beyond indulgence—it is about experiences, authenticity, and connections. This roadshow provides an invaluable opportunity for India’s luxury travel community to engage deeply with the destination.”

Loveleen Arun, Advisory Board Member of One Rep Global and Founder of Panache World, commented: “Indian travellers today are evolving rapidly in their preferences—they want destinations that not only deliver luxury but also embody a sense of place and uniqueness. Courchevel

offers exactly this—a rare harmony of elegance, culture, gastronomy, and adventure. We are delighted to be a part of this initiative to bring Courchevel closer to the Indian market.”

With its timeless allure, Courchevel continues to define haute montagne living, where glamour, gastronomy, and alpine adventure come together. Celebrating 80 years of setting the standard for luxury alpine experiences, 2026 marks a special milestone in Courchevel’s storied history. This exclusive roadshow is a gateway for Indian travellers to discover why Courchevel remains one of the world’s most coveted luxury destinations.



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